OUR ACTIONS

The mission of the Jackson in Action 83 Foundation is to provide support to military families, focusing on the educational, emotional, and physical health of the children. The foundation operates several annual programs, and other events or programs are semi-annual. The Jackson in Action 83 Foundation’s standard is to be as resolute in our mission to help military families as those families’ soldiers are to protect our freedoms. We pledge to be the best possible stewards of the generous contributions made by our donors and supporters.

Danny DogTags Children’s Books

Lindsey and Vincent Jackson have set out to develop a series of three children’s books designed to help kids and their parents cope with some of the emotional issues that deployment can bring. By reading these books, the hope is that parents and their children can communicate about their feelings and find ways to solve problems. These age-appropriate books are designed to be fun to read, while highlighting both the struggles and triumphs deployed families face. Two of the three books have been published, including Danny Dogtags: Dealing with Deployment and Danny Dogtags: Soccer Superhero. Visit the Danny Dogtags page to read more about our book series.

Military Moms Baby Shower

Since 2014, the foundation has hosted an annual Military Moms Baby Shower for 40 pregnant or recently delivered military moms. Each year the shower has gotten bigger and better, with families taking home thousands of dollars in items to help them welcome baby. The Military Moms Baby Shower is a collaborative effort with generous support from more than 50 sponsors and donors. We are grateful to each and every donor for the support they provide this wonderful annual event. Learn more about the Military Moms Baby Shower here.

Youth in Action Camp

The foundation hosts an annual Youth in Action Camp every June for kids ages six to 12 who are members of a military family. The purpose of the Youth in Action Camp is to emphasis one of the foundation’s three pillars by encouraging youth to remain healthy and physically active, even in the face of challenges such as deployment and relocation. To learn more about the camp, click here.

Salute to Reading Program

The Jackson in Action 83 Foundation launched the Salute to Reading program in October 2013. An incentive and recognition program designed to award outstanding students for reading improvement, the program includes students in third, fourth, and fifth grades at Ballast Point, Chiaramonte, and Tinker Elementary schools. The goal of the program is to address the foundation’s pillar of educational health of military childrn by encouraging students to develop their reading skills. Click here to read more about how the Salute to Reading Program works.

Front Row Fans

For every Buccaneers home game, the Jackson in Action 83 Foundation purchases tickets, t-shirts, and meal vouchers for 24 military members and/or veterans and their families to attend the game. The tickets are located in one of the first two rows of a section in the north endzone. The tickets are used in different ways to reward young military members for a job well done, to honor veterans for their service, or to provide an unforgettable experience for a military family either before or after a lengthy deployment.

Historical Programs:

Military Family Home Makeover

The Jackson in Action 83 Foundation teamed up with KDS Interior Design Studios in the fall of 2014 to provide one local military family with a home makeover. Through a nomination process, the foundation selected one Tampa Bay area military family to receive a fresh new look in at least two rooms in their home.

To be nominated, the families had to include an active duty service member who served on deployment for at least four consecutive months within the previous 12 months. Nominations were open for military personnel E6 and below only.

After reading through many nominations, TSgt. Jessica Fleurimond, a 14-year member of the Air Force, was selected to receive the home makeover. Nominated by her husband Adam, Fleurimond was deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan from October 2013 – March 2014. Adam’s nomination read, in part:

“My beautiful wife was tasked for her very first deployment in her 13 year tenure back in January 2013. As soon as she was tasked, she immediately got into the “prep-mode” to get everything situated prior to her departure. She worked day in and day out from January 2013 all the way through the length of her deployment to ensure we (my son and I) were taken care of. My wife is a very neat and very organized person and I’m not sure how she does it all. Between prepping for deployment, going to predeployment training not once, but twice (she rolled her ankle Day 4 into training), studying for promotion, taking classes towards her MBA, ensuring our son was progressing well in the 2nd grade (she actually emailed the teacher while deployed), dealing with my loss of employment…this woman does it all!!! She never quits.

She ordered Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations and had them shipped all the way to Afghanistan to decorate her work center and spread cheer. She volunteered 2 days a week with this organization, Operation Outreach, where they helped build fuel donuts to provide to the Afghanistan community during the cold months. She does it with such dedication and never hesitates to still help others when asked. She even got coined by the General who runs her career field for the work she did in Afghanistan and for keeping her coworkers motivated and uplifted. She takes care of everyone else and sometimes, well all the time, forgets about herself. I love my wife and all that she does for us, the military, for everyone. She deserves this and so much more!!!”

The Fleurimonds received interior design upgrades, including new furniture in the living room and child’s bedroom, new paint, flooring, window treatments, decor, and more. Generous support for the home makeover was provided by KDS Interiors, Ultra Custom Group, The Drapery Company, Robyn Story Designs, T2THES, Tibbet’s Lumber, Direct Buy of Tampa, Comphy, Interior Trading, Carpet Crafters Rug Company, and others. Click here to see before and after photos of the home. The Fleurimonds were surprised with their home makeover on November 3, 2014, just in time to celebrate Veterans Day. See some of the local news coverage of the Military Family Home Makeover from Chris Fischer at WTSP and Jason Biesel at ABC Action News.

Fall Festival

With help from presenting sponsor the DeBartolo Family Foundation, the Jackson in Action 83 Foundation hosted a Fall Festival on Saturday, November 8, 2014 for military children at Old McMicky’s Farm in Odessa. The children who attended the event currently have a parent deployed overseas. The goal of the Fall Festival is to provide a joyful event for military children who may be facing personal and emotional challenges while separated from a parent for an extended period of time. As always, Vincent was there throughout the event to greet the children, take photos, and even join them on a hayride. During the Fall Festival, children received a tour of Old McMicky’s Farm which includes an old-fashioned hayride, pony rides, cow milking, and interactions with other animals such as goats, pigs, turkeys, and chickens. Following the tour, the children and their families enjoyed a catered lunch beside Crescent Lake. Check out photos from the Fall Festival HERE.